2 Ohio spring breakers killed in Florida crash

Posted: March 18, 2013 - 12:56am

Associated Press

EBRO — Two Ohio women driving home from spring break have died and seven other people are hospitalized after a traffic crash in the Florida Panhandle.

According to a Florida Highway Patrol crash report, Brittney Gallagher of Willoughby, Ohio, was driving near Ebro on Saturday morning when she drifted into opposing traffic. Troopers said Gallagher’s attempts to correct the problem caused her vehicle to rotate and cross into the path of a pickup truck driven by Kelly Porter of Stillwater, Okla.

Gallagher and her front passenger, Courtney Miller of Niles, Ohio, were pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers said each was wearing a seat belt.

Two other passengers, Diana Mitchell of Solon, Okla., and Lauren Kane of Willoughby, Ohio, were hospitalized in critical condition.

They were all spring break visitors returning to Ohio, Walton County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Bill May told the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Authorities said alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

Porter was hospitalized in serious condition. One of Porter’s passengers, Braden Solis of Oklahoma City, Okla., was hospitalized with minor injuries. Three other passengers — Tyler Magar of Yukon, Okla., Courtney Burnett of Edmond, Okla., and Matthew Gallant of Oklahoma City, Okla. — were hospitalized with serious injuries.

According to WJHG-TV in Panama City, Gallagher and her passengers were all Ohio State students. Porter, Solis and Magar are students at Oklahoma State University. Gallant attends the University of Oklahoma. Burnett goes to Southeast Missouri State.